JOHN BLEAKLEYwas born in 1852 in Antrim, Ireland, the son of John Bleakley, a farmer from the Shankhill district of Belfast. He married Mary Jane Laverty on July 12th, 1872 at May St Church, Belfast, daughter of John Laverty and Jane McAtear. She was also born in Ireland about 1850. Shortly after being married they moved to England in search of work, Their only daughter Sarah Jane was born here in 1876. Around about 1877 they headed north to Scotland in search of work and found it in Glasgow, by now one of the fastest growing city’s in Britain The 1881 census is where I first came across the "Blakeley" family in Glasgow, Staying in a single-end room at 7 Walker St in Govan. The head of the family is John, aged 30, his occupation was noted on the census as a shoe and boot maker. Born in Ireland and married to Mary Jane Laverty who is also aged 30 and born in Ireland. Their oldest child is Sarah Jane aged 5 and their son William, born in Glasgow soon after they arrived here was aged 2. Also there is Mary Jane’s mother, Jane Laverty who moved to Glasgow to stay with them after her husband died in Ireland, She would pass away on the New Years Eve of 1890.

In the 1891 census the family has moved to a two roomed house at 57 North St, Whiteinch. (The surname is now spelt Bleakley) John is employed as a labourer in the local shipyards. Boarding with them is a family of five by the name of Muir.

The census of 1901 show’s they have now moved home again and stay at 51 Merkland St, Partick. Mary Jane is now noted as the head of the family. Her husband John is at sea working as a ships stoker, only son William is aged 23 and employed as a docker in the shipyards of Govan. Daughter Sarah Jane is married to Patrick Leggett, who himself was one of six children born to Patrick and Elizabeth Leggatt, and like the Bleakley’s where Irish immigrants, both are living With her parents. Sarah and Patrick where married in 1895 and almost two years later had their only child, a son Patrick who died of natural causes soon after birth,

Mary Jane passed away suddenly at 11.30 am on the 5th of June 1909 due to heart failure. Her death was reported by her son William. (William signed and spelt his surname Bleakely)

John Bleakley was drowned at sea when his ship HMHS Rohilla struck rocks of the coast of Whitby in 1914. His body is thought to have went down with the ship and was never found. The story of the drowning of John Bleakley can be read in "THE ROHILLA DISATER" page of this website On Saturday the 13th of September 1902 whilst at sea John Bleakleys only daughter Sarah Bleakley was murdered by her husband Patrick Leggett. All the papers reported the story at the time and it was known as "THE WHITEINCH MURDER”. Again this story can be read on another page of this website

Generation No. 2

2. WILLIAM JOHN BLEAKELY was born October 22, 1878 in Partick, Glasgow, and died October 13, 1929 in home at 102 Douglas St Partick. Glasgow. He married ELIZABETH BONE December 31, 1903 in Glasgow, she was the daughter of JOSEPH BONE and JANE CHRISTIE who where married in Dublin in 1868, according to the marriage certificate Joseph was a serving soldier with the Gordon Highlanders and was stationed at Currage Camp on the outskirts of Dublin. Joseph was born in Sunderland, England so its not known why he was serving with a Scottish Highland Regiment. They moved to Glasgow soon after marrying and settled in Govan where Joseph found work in the local shipyards.

They had three daughters, Jane, born illegitimate in 1861, Mary born 1874 and Elizabeth born in 1880, also a son Joseph who died at the age of two in 1878. Joseph died on the 5th of February 1899. Jane Christie passed away peacefully in her sleep on January the 8th 1908

Their daughter Jane married John Keegans, Mary married Samuel Swan and Elizabeth, a fancy box maker at the time married William John Bleakley a Hammer man aged 24 of 258 Main St. Glasgow

Children of WILLIAM BLEAKELY and ELIZABETH BONE are:

ELIZABETH BLEAKLEY, born on August 4, 1906, in Glasgow and died August 3, 1907, she was the first child born of William and Elizabeth. Sadly she was to pass away of Cerebro-Spinal Fever one day short of her first birthday.

3. JOHN BLEAKLEY was born November 1, 1908 in 14 Muirhead St, Partick Glasgow, and died of a peptic ulcer on the 17th of March, 1949 at the Western Infirmary. Glasgow. He married ANNE MCGUNIGLE on the 28th of April 1930 in Glasgow.

ABOVE: John Bleakley with daughter Elizabeth

Children of JOHN BLEAKLEY and ANNE MCGUNIGLE are:

THOMAS BLEAKLEY, born March 18, 1930.

WILLIAM JOHN BLEAKLEY, born 1931 and died of Fibrosis of the lungs following Broncho Pneumonia March 29th 1932

MARGARET BLEAKLEY, b. December 14, 1931.

ELIZABETH BLEAKLEY, b. July 6, 1933. d. June 21 2009

JOHN (JACK) BLEAKLEY, b. July 16, 1940.

HUGH BLEAKLEY, b. October 11, 1943.

4. JEANETTE BLEAKLEY was born January 4, 1916 in Glasgow. She married WILLIAM “ABIE” SMITH on the 5th of January 1934 in Glasgow. William Smith was adopted out by his mother Susan Ann Paget after his birth in 1910 and spent most of his childhood at an orphanage run by nuns in Aberdeen. He passed away on the 16th of July 1998 at his home in Grace St Anderson, Jane died suddenly whilst on holiday at Carbeth on 27th June 1993.

They had four Children Elizabeth, Jeanette John and William.

Jeanette died of Cancer and William died tragically whilst swimming in the river Clyde.

5. WILLIAM JOHN GILMOUR BLEAKLEY was born September 29, 1919 in 102 Douglas St Partick Glasgow, and died September 16, 1985 in The Royal Infirmary Glasgow. Aged 65. He married MARY WARBURTON January 29, 1942 in Hillhead Registrar Office, Glasgow, daughter of THOMAS WARBURTON and ISABELLA IRWIN. She was born August 22, 1921 at 61 Queen St Govan, and died February 6, 1992 in home at 360 Carntyne Rd Glasgow Aged 70.

ABOVE; William & Mary Bleakley

When they married William aged 22 was a shipyard labourer and lived at 95 Earl St. Mary was aged 20 and lived at 114 Purdon St, Witnesses at the wedding were Williams sister Jean Smith of 9 Walker St. and William’s friend Billy Holinsworth of 71 Anderson St Glasgow.

William was brought up by Alice Gilmour. {Auld Alice as she was known}. It is not known if Alice was related or just a family friend. Alice passed away suddenly on the 9th of January 1955 aged 79 at her home in 95 Earl St in Scotstoun.

Her death was reported by William who was noted as her "Foster Son" on the death certificate. Also on the certificate it stated her husband as William John Gilmour, This is who William was named after.

Children of WILLIAM BLEAKLEY and MARY WARBURTON are:

7. MARGARET BLEAKLEY, b. November 25, 1941, Glasgow.

8. WILLIAM BLEAKLEY, b. June 18, 1943, Glasgow.

9. SAMUEL BLEAKLEY, b. April 12, 1945, Glasgow.

10. ALICE BLEAKLEY, b. August 11, 1946, Glasgow.

11. ISABELLA BLEAKLEY, b. October 26, 1947, Glasgow.

12. ROSE BLEAKLEY, b. May 26, 1948, Glasgow.

13. JEAN BLEAKLEY, b. August 26, 1951, Glasgow.

14. ELIZABETH BLEAKLEY, b. November 6, 1955, Glasgow.

JOAN BLEAKLEY, b. September 7, 1958,

William passed away in September of 1985 and cause of death was respiratory failure, He suffered from chest complaints most of his adult life. He was cremated at Daldowie and his ashes scattered in the Garden of Remembrance.

Last surviving member of her generation of the Warburton family William’s wife Mary died peacefully at her home in 360 Carntyne Rd Glasgow, Cause of Death was cancer of the renal

Mary was cremated at Daldowie and her ashes are kept at the family home in Carntyne.

6. SAMUEL BLEAKLEY was born June 18, 1922 in Glasgow. He married JANE MURRAY on the 7th May 1949 in Glasgow.

Children of SAMUEL BLEAKLEY and JANE MURRAY are:

TRISHA BLEAKLEY, b. March 17, 1948.

SAMUEL BLEAKLEY, b. June 18, 1951.

JANICE BLEAKLEY, b. August 30, 1957

Having spoken to Samuel, the only surviving child of William and Elizabeth, He told me he knew nothing of having a sister Elizabeth or brothers William and Joseph who were all born and died before he was born.

Generation No. 4

7. MARGARET BLEAKLEY was born November 25, 1941 in Glasgow. She married JAMES TODD November 18, 1961 in Glasgow, son of JOSEPH TODD and JANE BUCHANAN. He was born May 21, 1938 in 113 Florence St Glasgow, and died August 18, 2002 in Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Children of MARGARET BLEAKLEY and JAMES TODD are:

IRENE TODD, b. January 14, 1962, Glasgow.

JOHN WILLIAM TODD, b. August 18, 1963, Belvidere hospital, Glasgow.

JAMES TODD, b. November 12, 1964, Glasgow.

THOMAS TODD, b. October 10, 1965.

JOSEPH TODD, b. March 28, 1967, Glasgow.

WILLIAM TODD. b May 13th 1968 Glasgow

MICHAEL TODD, b. June 24, 1969, Glasgow.

8. WILLIAM BLEAKLEY was born June 18, 1943 in Glasgow. He passed away on the 16th May 2008. He married ELLEN BURNETT on June 19th 1965. She was the daughter of Alexander Burnett and Sarah McWilliams. Ellen passed away on the 2nd of March 2006.

Children of WILLIAM BLEAKLEY and ELLEN BURNETT are:

WILLIAM BLEAKLEY.

SEAN BLEAKLEY.

ANGELA BLEAKLEY.

ALEC BLEAKLEY.

9. SAMUEL BLEAKLEY was born April 12, 1945 in Glasgow. He married PAULINE CASEY the daughter of James Casey and Harriet Graham on the 24th of August 1968.

Child of SAMUEL BLEAKLEY and PAULINE CASEY is:

JASON BLEAKLEY.

10. ALICE GILMOUR BLEAKLEY was born August 11, 1946 in Glasgow. She married JOHN MCAVOY the eldest son of John McAvoy and Catherine McKay on the 16th of December 1967, John came from a family of miners from the Chapelhall area in Airdrie

Children of ALICE BLEAKLEY and JOHN MCAVOY are

KATHALEEN MCAVOY.

JOHN MCAVOY.

PAUL MCAVOY

11. ISABELLA BLEAKLEY was born October 26, 1947 in Glasgow. She married ADAM MORT, who was the oldest son of Henry Mort and Agnes Laird on the 29th of September 1971.

Children of ISABELLA BLEAKLEY and ADAM MORT are;

SAMUEL BLEAKLEY.

ELIZABETH BLEAKLEY.

DONNA MORT.

12. ROSE BLEAKLEY was born May 26, 1948 in Glasgow. She married PATRICK ARCHER the son of Hugh Archer and Jessie Barker on the 21st of July 1967.

Children of ROSE BLEAKLEY and PATRICK ARCHER are:

PATRICK ARCHER.

PAUL ARCHER.

MARIE ARCHER.

BRIAN ARCHER.

KATHALEEN ARCHER.

JEAN BLEAKLEY was born August 26, 1951 in Glasgow. She met JAMES GUTHRIE in the 1970’s

Children of JEAN BLEAKLEY and JAMES GUTHRIE are:

LEE ANNE GUTHRIE. (see own page)

JAMES GUTHRIE.

LINDSAY GUTHRIE.

ROSS GUTHRIE.

14. ELIZABETH BLEAKLEY was born November 6, 1955 in Glasgow. She married JAMES WEIR the eldest son of John Weir and Grace Elvin on the 10th of April 1976.